Cigarettes On A Rainy Night
by Hope-Like-Fyre
Summary: Of all the things he could've picked up from Sojiro, it just had to be that. R&R appreciated.


Cigarettes On A Rainy Night

_"Rain, huh?" -Sojiro Sakura_

I don't own anything except this story!

A/N: Really short one-shot about three idiosyncrasies: cigarettes, love, and rain. Enjoy.

* * *

"You know it's raining out there, right?" Makoto asked as he rose from the bed.

Ren nodded. Stepping over the brown-haired girl, he made his way to the sliding glass door that led out to his small balcony. The first thing he noticed was that they had forgotten to bring the laundry in before the rain began. He ran his hand over a few of the garments, which were damp, but not completely wet. They could be hung inside provided they didn't drip on anything.

He slid open the door and brought the laundry inside. As he did so, Makoto looked up from her novel and gasped.

"I forgot about our clothes!" She raised a hand over her mouth.

Ren looked over at her and chuckled. "Yeah. Third time this month. Looks like you're going for a new record." He joked playfully.

The comment, although somewhat mean, was intended to make her laugh. However, Makoto folded her arms and scowled at him.

"Well, if I'm doing such a terrible job, I'd be happy to let you do it."

Ren grit his teeth and muttered an apology. Makoto accepted it with small shake of her head and went back to reading.

After hanging their clothes, he went out again, closing the door behind him silently so he wouldn't disturb his girlfriend. He absentmindedly looked out beyond their corner of the world. Although the railing was wet, he rested his arms on it, taking in the lights of the city around him. It had been a long time since he had taken a minute to unwind and relax. Reaching in his back pocket, he pulled out a small carton. He flipped open the lid and selected one of the cylinders with his left hand. He twirled it around, inspecting it from all angles. Once satisfied, his put the filtered end into his mouth and retrieved his lighter. A quick flick of the wheel, a few puffs, and the click of the lighter shutting; it was all a familiar routine. He took a long drag, exhaling tension, along with various chemicals, into the evening air. He watched raindrops fall through the smoke, like bullet holes, as the wisps faded into the wind. Makoto would probably want him to change clothes and brush his teeth after he was finished. She could barely put up with Ren's continued desire to smoke, even after she had informed him of all the health risks he was subject to. It wasn't that he didn't care about his health or Makoto's feelings, he wasn't _that_ cold-hearted. He'd even given up on smoking for a while, to show her that he was willing to sacrifice everything to be with her.

It was just that things were so…_tense_ lately. Makoto had been growing more and more distant from him and the atmosphere that encompassed Ren's apartment changed from quiet and calm to terse and guarded whenever she was around. Ren had suspected for a while now that her visits were becoming somewhat conjugal, as if she was forced to do so just because they were dating. He had told her various times that she was under no obligation to come visit. They could call or use a video messenger to talk to one another. Nowhere was it stated that boyfriends and girlfriends had to occupy the same room or fall asleep next to one another on a regular basis. In fact, Ren currently would have preferred the opposite if he was being completely honest with himself.

Another depressing thought, another slow drag on his cigarette. He looked above him, at the roof covering his balcony. He was glad to be here, truly, but he wasn't that tied down. He could go anywhere, and with that freedom, he had chosen to stay. Nowadays, he wasn't sure if he had made the right choice. Maybe his destiny lay outside of this small city he lived in. Maybe it transcended even him and Makoto. He felt the tears begin to well up and watched as they blurred the corners of his vision.

_Makoto._

His mind began to wander, fixated on the brunette. She had been the one constant in his life, and he felt he had treated her terribly. To be fair, they were going through a bit of a rough patch. Ren worked a dead-end job at a café not unlike Leblanc down the road after he moved here, and Makoto, though she graduated at the top of her class at the police academy, was unable to find stable work on the force. The two had come this far together, but only time would tell how much further they would go.

The girl that occupied his thoughts appeared behind him, wrapping her arms around his slender frame. "Hey."

Ren was taken aback. He'd been so lost in his thoughts; he hadn't even heard the door open.

"Hey." He answered.

"You've been out here a while." Makoto began, burying her face into his back.

"Have I?" He asked.

She nodded against him silently. She dropped her arms from him, appearing beside him.

"Just having a smoke." Ren replied. He glanced at her. "Want me to put it out?"

"No," She said firmly. "It's fine."

A deep breath. "Ren, what happened to us?"

"I don't really know myself." He said, taking another drag. "I really can't think about when things started going south."

He turned away from her to exhale. She looked at the object in his fingers with curious eyes.

"Let me have one."

Ren's shock caused him to exhale a little faster than he intended, sending him into a couching fit. Once he had recovered, he turned back to her. "W-What did you say?"

"Do I have to repeat myself?" Makoto assumed an authoritative tone and stretched her open palm toward him. When Ren didn't react, she snapped her fingers. "Smokes. Let's go."

He reached in his pocket and extended the open container to her. She selected her stick and popped it in between her lips. Snatching his lighter, she lit up like a seasoned smoker and dumped the lighter back into his hand.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Ren asked, awestruck.

Makoto winked, letting a long trail of smoke escape her mouth. She inhaled deeply, savoring the taste and the scent of freshly lit tobacco.

"I've watched you do it so many times." She explained, taking a drag. "It wasn't difficult to figure out." She exhaled, sending wisps of smoke into the cool, damp air. "Why do you think I know so much about it?"

"Because you're always reading?" Ren tried.

Makoto laughed. "I suppose I _am_ always reading, aren't I?" She exhaled. "Maybe…Maybe I have been so caught up in reading I forgot what was really important to me."

"Or maybe you're just stuck with a terrible boyfriend." Ren joked.

Makoto rolled her eyes playfully. "Maybe."

Ren smiled down at her. She wasn't much shorter than he was, but he still took pride in being the taller lover. He put his right arm around her and pulled her next to him, their bodies intermingling; their love ready to pour out in cascades.

"Besides," She looked up at him, cigarettes and all, and smiled.

"How could anyone pass up cigarettes on a rainy night?"


End file.
